Spindle-rail-lifting device for fly-frames



Oct. 24, 1967 F. LANCEROTTO 3,348,371

SPINDLERAIL-LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLY-FRAMES Filed NOV. 28, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l v Oct. 24, 1967 ANCERQTTO 3,348,371

SPINDLE-RAIL-LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLY-FRAMES Filed Nov. 28, 1966 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 at 24, 187 F, LANCEROTTO SPINDLE'RAIL-LIF'TING DEVICE FOR FLY FRAMEs Filed Nov. 28, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 28, 1966 F. LANCEROTTO SPINDLE-RAIL-LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLY-FRAMES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent 3,348,371 SPINDLE-RAIL-LIFTING DEVICE FOR FLY-FRAMES Fabio Lancerotto, Genoa, Italy, assignor to Nuova San Giorgio S.p.A., Genoa-Sestri, Italy, an Italian company Filed Nov. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 597,292 Claim priority, application Italy, Sept. 21, 1963, 19,395/63, Patent 705,441 3 Claims. (Cl. 5799) This invention relates to a spindle-rail-lifting device for fiy-frames to be used both for spinning and doubling.

The application is a continuation-in-part of my copending US. patent application Ser. No. 396,339 filed Sept. 14, 1964, now abandoned.

This invention provides a device for controlling the reciprocating vertical movements of parallely arranged spindle rails of fiy-frames in opposite directions and in timed relationship, wherein the reciprocal vertical move ment of said parallely arranged spindle rails is brought about by flexible members driven by a first and a second driving pulley, a substantial balance of said moving spindle rails being thus achieved as the slubbing is being wound up.

The present invention also contemplates a device adapted to bring about a simultaneous displacement of the parallely arranged spindle rails of said fly-frame in the same vertical direction.

The last mentioned feature is of paramount importance, in that it allows the spindle rails to be brought to their bottom dead centres simultaneously, thus causing the doffing to take place in an extremely easy and rapid Way with the rails in their lowered position which is imperative for the dofi'ing to be carried out, when the flyer is fixedly mounted on the fly-frame. Said feature, moreover, is such as to produce bobbins of even size and weight on the spindle rails, while overcoming undesirable slubbing breakages.

The subject device comprises rotatable component parts rigidly affixed to the driving pulleys aforementioned, along with first and second driving means, either only of which is capable of being actuated at any instant, said rotatable members comprising two differential gears and a plurality of gear-wheels, said rotatable members being drivingly so connected that, when said first-named driving means is actuated during the fiy-frarne operation, the spindle rails are imparted vertical movement in opposite directions, whereas said spindle rails are vertically and undirectionally moved when said second driving means are actuated.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fly-frame, taken along the line II of FIG. 1 and of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatical, partially cutaway sideelevational cross-sectional view of said fly-frame, taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial, horizontal cross-sectional view of the fly-frame taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1 and showing the device of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatical showing of the device of FIG. 3, portions of two spindle rails having been shown beside the device, with their supporting members: for the sake of clear showing, the latter have been shown as rotated 90 with respect to their normal positions so as to show them coplanarly with the device.

Having now more particular reference to the accompanying drawings, these show a framework 1 which comprises a number of sequentially arrayed sections.

As more particularly seen on FIGS. 1 and 2, framework 1 comprises spaced apart uprights which bear longitudinals 51: from these two bracket sets, 52 and 53 are caused to project, set 52 being composed by shorter brackets than set 53. For the sake of clarity, but a pair of said brackets has been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A plurality of draw-frames 54 are catered for above the longitudinals 51 said draw-frames having not been shown for clarity in FIG. 2, each draw-frame comprising drafting rollers 55 which can be seen, in cross-section, in FIG. 1. The structural and operational features of said draw-frames 54 and the attendant drafting rollers 55 are quite conventional, their detailed description being dispensed with herein.

In the fly-frame two parallel rows of closed-ring shaped flyers are provided, the flyers of either row being indicated at 56, those of the other row, at 57. The flyers 56 of either row, and those, 57, of the other one likewise, are spaced apart from one another, flyers 56 being offset with respect to the flyers 57 (see particularly FIG. 3).

An operator standing by a side of the fly-frame has thus easy access to the farside flyers by merely causing his hands to be passed between two adjacent flyers of the nearside flyers row.

The tops of the flyers 56 and 57 is freely rotatable borne by bearings carried by the brackets 52 and 53, respectively, whereas the bottom of said flyers has a vertical axial cylindrical extension which is freely journalled in journals 58 and 59, respectively, the latter being affixed to the framework 1 (FIG. 2). The flyers are thus freely rotatable about their vertical axes but are prevented from being translated relatively to the framework. To each of said cylindrical, axially protruding extensions of the flyers 56 and 57, respectively, is solidly affixed a gear 60 (and 61, respectively) having a vertical axis, both gears 60 and 61 lying on a virtually horizontal plane.

Between said gears 60 and 61 a horizontal shaft 62 is inserted, which is freely rotatable on bearings 63 protruding from framework 1. In correspondence to each gear 60, a gear 64 is keyed to the shaft 62 to mesh with 60, a gear 65 (FIG. 2) being keyed to the shaft 62 in correspondence to each gear 61 and in mesh therewith. At either end, the shaft 62 is connected to the arbor of an electric motor (the latter has not been shown since it is quite conventional and its description is redundant for a proper understanding of the invention). It is apparent at any rate that, once the motor drives the shaft 62 to rotation, the latter, in turn, rotatably drives the flyers 56 and 57.

The fly-frame comprises, moreover, two spindle rails 40 and 41 substantially parallel to one another and extending longitudinally of the fly-frame: these will be described in more detail later.

The spindle rail 40 carries a plurality of vertical, freely rotatable spindles 66, each positioned in correspondence to each flyer 56 and passing through a cylindrical vertical bore axially formed through each gear 60 and eachof said axial extensions of the flyers 56.

Each spindle 66 has a longitudinally extending rib 67 engaging a corresponding groove of a gear 68 mounted coaxially with the spindle, so that the spindle 66 and the gear 68 are bound to rotate solidly but the spindle 66 is axially displaceable relatively to said gear.

The gear 68 is freely axially and rotatably supported by a bracket 69, solidly affixed to the frame work 1.

Similarly to what has been disclosed above, the spindle rail 41 carries a plurality of spindles 70 having longitudinal ribs, each of which being rotatably engaged by a gear 71 carried by a bracket 72.

Between the gears 68 and 71 there is a longitudinal horizontal shaft 73 carried in a freely rotatable manner on the supports 63 and on which is keyed a plurality of gears 74 and 75: of these, either gear 74 engages either gear 68 and each gear 75 engages either gear 71. Also either end of the shaft 73 is connected to the arbor of an electric motor (not shown). The actuation of said electric motor, causes the shaft 73 to be rotated and, therewith, the gears 68 and '71 of the spindles 66 and 70, the later then driving to rotation the cheeses 76 which are conventionally mounted on the spindle tops. On the cheeses 76 the slubbing (not shown) is delivered in a conventional way by a presser arm 77 solid with the flyers.

During the operation of the fly-frame, the spindle rails are vertically reciprocated, as will be shown hereinafter, thus vertically reciprocating the spindles and the cheeses therewithal.

Alongside the flanks of the fly-frame a plurality of shafts 3 and 3 is solidly afiixed to opposite framework sides. A pulley 2 is idly mounted on each shaft 3, a pulley 2' being likewise mounted on each shaft 3'. FIGURES 1 and 2 are clearly illustrative of the shape of the pulleys 2 and 2'.

Two tapes such as 37 wrap each of the pulleys 2 and 2, either end of each tape 37 being tied to its attendant pulley, the opposite end being tied to its respective spindle rail 40 (or 41) to suspend the latter therefrom, as clearly shown in FIGS. .1 and 2.

The pulleys 2 and 2 carry elongate, stiff metal rods 30 and 31, respectively, which are susceptible to be longitudinally extended along, and parallel to, the long axis of the framework the whole length of the fly-frame throughout.

A plurality of chains 36 and 38 connects the rods 30 and 31, to the pulleys 2 and 2, respectively.

More particularly, either end of each chain 36 is fastened to the rod 30 and the other end is aifixed to either pulley 2 and wraps it. Either end of each chain 38 is aflixed to the rod 31, the other end being tied to either pulley 2 and wrapping it, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as well as in the right portion of FIG. 4.

Either end of a chain 12 is affixed to the left end of rod 30 and juts therefrom, while either end of another chain 16 is afiixed to the left end of rod 31 and juts therefrom (see more particularly FIGS. 3 and 4). The opposite ends of the chains 12' and-16' are affixed to their respective driving pulleys 12 and 16 to wrap them, said pulleys having a significant role in the present invention. The layout of the inventive device has been diagrammatically shown in the box 90 on the left of FIG. 2 and more detailedly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, enclosed in a phantom box.

As clearly seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, two shafts, 4 and 7, are journalled in journals 91 afiixed to the opposite sides of the framework, said shafts extending therebetween throughout. A gear 18, a planet-gear 20 of a differential gearing 8, another planet-gear 21 of the differential gearing 8, the gears 22, 23, 24 and the pulleys 92 and 19 are, all of them, keyed to the shaft 4. A solid connection is provided for the assembly formed by the gear 18 and the planet-gear 20, the same being true of the assembly comprising the planet-gear 21 and the gear 22 and the assmebly comprising the gears 23 and 24.

The pulley 92 is mounted so as to rotate relative to the gears 23 and 24. The pulleys 92 and 19 support the left shanks of the rods and 31, respectively (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

A planet carrier 8a and a gear wheel 25, are however, keyed to the shaft 4.

Similarly, a gear wheel 15, a driving pulley 16, a planetary wheel 17 of a differential gearing 9, another planetary gear of the differential gearing 9 and a driving pulley 12 are idly mounted, each, on the shaft 7, whereas a planet-carrier 9a and the gear wheels 26 and 27 are, each, keyed to said shaft 7. The gear 15, the planet wheel 17 and the driving pulley 16 are solidly connected together, the same being true of the planet wheel 11 and the driving pulley 12.

The shafts 4 and 7 are parallel to one another and are gearingly connected. Thus, the gear pairs 25 and 26, 24 and 27, and 15 and 18 are in meshing pair-wise relationshin.

The worms 28 and 29 can be driven, each, from a distinct electric motor (not shown), conventional reversing motions or gears (also not shown) being inserted therebetween. The worm 28 meshes with the wheel 23, whereas worm 29 meshes with the worm-wheel 22.

The operation of the device will now be described with reference to the foregoing and the drawings.

"During progress of winding up, the worm 29 is rotated by its own electric motor, while the electric motor which drives the worm 23 is at standstill. At the outset, therefore, as the worm 28 is stationary, and so the gears 23, 24 and 27 are: inasmuch as the gear 27 is fast to the shaft 7, the latter, the planet carr-ier 9a and the gear 26 will also be stationary. On account of the meshing connection between the gears 25 and 26, gear 25 will not rotate and, since the latter gear is keyed to the shaft 4, neither the latter shaft 4 nor the planet carrier 8a will be driven to rotation.

Now, the worm 29, in its rotation, drives the wheel 22 and the latter will cause the planet wheel 21 also to rotate.

The rotating planet wheel 21 will drive also the planet wheel 20, thus transferring the drive to the gear wheel 18. This latter, being in mesh with the gear 15, will drive to rotation said gear and thus also the pulley 16 and the planet wheel 17 will rotate. While the planet carrier 9a is provided for stationary, the planet wheel 11 and the driving pulley 12 will be driven also to rotation, now. It should be noticed that the driving pulley 12 is rotated in a reverse direction relatively to the driving pulley 16.

It will be readily realized, now, that, while the chain 16' is being, say, wound up on the driving pulley 16, the chain 12 is being unwound from its driving pulley 12. Said chains, however, are connected to the rods 31 and 30, respectively, and thus it can be seen that the reciprocating horizontal motion of the rods 31 and 30 causes the spindle rail 41 to be lifted, the spindle rail 40 being simultaneously lowered.

While the slubbing is being Wound up on cheeses 76, the direction of rotation of the worm 28 is timed but is reversed by means of a conventional reversing motion.

, In order that the cheeses may all be simultaneously depressed on completion of winding up and prior to dofling, the motor which drives the worm 29 is cut off as the bobbin rails have come half-way of their vertical stroke. Said motor can be stopped manually by an operator. By so doing, the stationary worm 29 will act as an abutment to hold the gear 22 and the planet wheel 21 at standstill. The motor which drives the worm 28 can now be started. Worm 28, as it rotates, will sequentially drive to rotation, the gear wheels 23 and 24 and the gear wheei 27 meshing with the latter gear. Since, however, the gear 27 is keyed to the shaft 7, the latter also will be driven to rotation and therewith the planet carrier 9a along with the gear 26. Gear 26, meshing with the gear 25 (keyed to 4) will drive to rotation the gear 25, the shaft 24 and the planet carrier 8a, and also the planet wheel 20 and the gear 18. As gear 15 is in mesh with gear 18, gear '15, pulley 16 and planet wheel 17 will also be driven to rotation.

It will be noticed that, by this arrangement, the planet carrier 9a and the planet wheel 17 are rotated in the same direction. Moreover, by properly calculating the gears, it is possible to have the planet carrier 921 being rotated at the same speed as planet wheel 17.

Thus, by so doing, the planet wheel 11 and the driving pulley 12 are rotated at the same speed and in the same direction as the planet wheel 17 and driving pulley 16, the result being that the chains 12' and 16' are being driven concurrently. Obviously, should the direction of rotation of worm 28 be reversed, so that direction of rotation of the driving pulleys 12 and 16 will also be.

It should be noticed that, in the arrangement described above, the rods 30 and 31 are active in hoisting the spindle rails, whose descending motion being exclusively due to gravity pull as the chains 12' and 16' are paid off their attendant pulleys.

The foregoing disclosure will show how, during progress of winding up, i.e. as the worm 2.9 governs, the vertical reciprocation of the spindle rails is such as to afford a balance of the moving masses.

At the outset, as well as the completion of winding up, worm 28 will govern and thus the spindle rails are simultaneously and concurrently moved.

It should be observed that, as the reciprocating movement of the spindle rails is discontinued simultaneously prior to dofiing and is resumed again simultaneously upon doffing and at the outset of Winding up, the rails themselves will start moving and will reciprocate during operation, thus being continually attuned among them and with respect to the fly frame.

It should also be noted that dofiing requires that the spindle rails 30 and 31 be brought to their bottom dead centre: the fact of bringing all of them simultaneously to said bottom dead centre minimizes idle time during which the machine is inoperative since both the bobbins of rail 30 and those of 31 can simultaneously be withdrawn,

, to be replaced by empty bobbins.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fly-frame having a framework and first and second spindle rails, the vertical movement of which is brought about by first and second flexible members, respectively, pulled by first and second driving pulleys re spectively, a device comprising rotatable component parts rigidly affixed to the driving pulleys aforementioned, along with first and second driving means, either one of which is capable of being actuated at any instant, said rotatable members comprising two differential gears and plurality of gear wheels, said rotatable members being drivingly so connected that, when said first-named driving means is actuated during the fly-frame operation, the spindle rails are imparted vertical movement in opposite directions, whereas said spindle rails are vertically and undirectionally moved when said second driving means are actuated.

2. A fly-frame according to claim 1, comprising a device having rotatable components parts rigidly aflixed to the driving pulleys aforementioned, along with first and second driving means, said rotatable components parts comprising a first and a second shaft journalled in bearings aflixed to the fly-frame framework, said first shaft fixedly carrying a gear and a planet-carrier of a first differential gearing having two planet gears idly mounted on said shaft, said second shaft fixedly carrying a gear meshing with said gear keyed to said first shaft and a planet carrier of a second differential gearing having two planet wheels idly mounted on said second shaft, either planet wheel of said first differential gearing being rotatably connected to either planet wheel of said second differential gearing and to either driving pulley, the other planet wheel of said second differential gearing being rotatably connected to the other driving pulley, said first driving means controlling the rotation of the other planet wheel of the first differential gearing, said second driving means controlling the rotation of said second shaft, means being further provided for driving said first driving means and said second driving means, respectively, to rotation in either direction and in the opposite direction selectively.

3. A fly-frame according to claim 1, comprising a device having first and second shafts journalled in bearings mounted on the fly-frame framework, said first shaft fixedly carrying a gear wheel and a planet carrier of a first differential gearing having two planet wheels rotatably mounted on the first shaft whereon there are idly mounted a pair of gear wheels solidly connected together, a gear wheel solidly connected to either planet wheel and a gear wheel solidly connected to the other planet wheel of said dilferential gearing, said second shaft fixedly carrying two gears and a planet-carrier of a second differential gearing having two planet wheels idly mounted on said second shaft, whereon there are idly mounted said first driving pulley solidly connected to either planet wheel and said second driving pulley solidly connected to a gear wheel and to the other planet wheel of said second differential gearing, said two gear wheels keyed to said second shaft being in mesh with the'gear keyed to said first shaft and with either gear of said pair of gears, whose other gear is in mesh with a first worm, the gear wheel solid-1y connected to said second driving pulley being in mesh with either gear wheel solidly connected to either planet wheel of said first differential gearing, the gear wheel solidly connected to the other planet wheel of said first differential gearing being in mesh with a second Worm, means being further provided for driving said first and said second worm, respectively, in either direction of rotation or, selectively, in the reverse direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,004,343 6/1935 Owen 57-99 2,370,328 2/1945 Schleifer 24226.1 2,647,698 8/ 1953 Woolley 242-261 2,653,774 9/ 1953 Bartholomew et al. 242-26.1 2,898,729 8/ 1959 Anderson et a1 57-99 X 2,982,487 5/ 1961 Newton 24226 .1 3,097,475 7/1963 Hooper et a1. 57-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 830,468 2/ 1952 Germany.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

D. WATKINS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A FLY-FRAME HAVING A FRAMEWORK AND FIRST AND SECOND SPINDLES RAILS, THE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF WHICH IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY FIRST AND SECOND FLEXIBLE MEMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, PULLED BY FIRST AND SECOND DRIVING PULLEYS RESPECTIVELY, A DEVICE COMPRISING POTATABLE COMPONENT PARTS RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO THE DRIVING PULLEYS AFOREMENTIONED, ALONG WITH FIRST AND SECOND DRIVING MEANS, EITHER ONE OF WHICH IS CAPABLE OF BEING ACTUATED AT ANY INSTANT, SAID ROATATABLE MEMBERS COMPRISING TWO DIFFERENTIAL GEARS AND PLURALITY OF GEAR WHEELS, SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS BEING DRIVINGLY SO CONNECTED THAT, WHEN SAID FIRST-NAMES DRIVING MEANS IS ACTUATED DURING THE FLY-FRAME OPERATION, THE SPINDLE RAILS ARE IMPARTED VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, WHEREAS SAID SPINDLE RAILS ARE VERTICALLY AND UNDIRECTIONALLY MOVED WHEN SAID SECOND DRIVING MEANS ARE ACTUATED. 